The country has witnessed a series of Islamic militant attacks perpetrated mostly by young men in recent years, killing more than 230 people in the span of two years.

Police forces take positions on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France, after a fatal shooting in which a police officer was killed along with an attacker, Thursday, April 20, 2017. An attacker with an automatic weapon opened fire on police on Paris’ iconic Champs-Elysees Thursday night, killing one officer and seriously wounding two others before police shot and killed him. (AP Photo)

The Islamic State militant group has claimed the responsibility of the deadly shooting attack in central Paris that left a French policeman dead and two others grievously injured. The fatal attack on Thursday night was carried out days before presidential elections, which will be held on April 23. President Francois Hollande described the “cowardly killing” on the Champs Elysees boulevard as an act of terrorism, in which the assailant was shot dead by police.

The crowded Arc de Triomphe was immediately cleared by police. The area surrounding the iconic monument saw the deployment of heavily armed security forces and police vehicles throughout the night. According to Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins, the assailant had been identified, but added that investigators were still assessing if he had accomplices.

Bystanders are frisked by police officers near the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France, after a fatal shooting in which a police officer was killed along with an attacker. (AP Photo)

A police arrest warrant had been issued earlier on Thursday, warning that a dangerous individual had entered France via a train from Belgium. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether the man was linked to the shooting.

The country has witnessed a series of Islamic militant attacks perpetrated mostly by young men, killing more than 230 people in the span of two years.

In the wake of the shooting, security concerns took centre stage in the last days of the country’s presidential race, which is expected to be a tightly contested election as the gap between four frontrunners continues to narrow. The two candidates who secure the maximum number of votes will then face off against each other in a run-off election on May 7.